Process of treating cotton fabric to produce wool-like effects



. Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

' paras areas 1,439,518 agararar caries.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN, OF WATTWIL, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HEBERL'EIN PATENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OFTREATING oorroar, FABnIc'To raonnon WOOL-LIKE EFFECTS.

No Drawing. Original application filed se tember 1, 1921, Serial No. 497,738. Divided and this application filed June 23, 1922. Serial No. 570,497.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, Gnjoncns HEBERLEIN, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and a resident of Wattwil, Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, have invented certain new and use-.

ful Improvements in Processes of Treating Cotton Fabric to Produce Wool-Like Effects (which improvements are described in.

the following filed applications, i. e., German' application Ser. No. 67112, filed July 17, 1914; patent of addition #294,571, granted Oct. 10, 1916; German application Ser. No. 65355, filed Feb. 13,1914; Patent of addition #292,213, granted May 26, 1916; German application Ser. No. H. 68470, filed May 19, 1915; Patent #295,- 816, granted Dec. 18, 1916; French application Ser. No. 83050, filed Apr. 21, 1916;

Patent #481,561, granted Sept. 23, 1916; British application Ser. No. 62-18 of 1916, filed May 1, 1916; Patent #100,483, granted as of May 19, 1915; Belgian application Ser. No. 225,208, filed June 24., 1919; Patent #280937, granted (not yet issued); Italian application 'Ser. No. (have none),

filed May 4, 1916 Patent #l54, 095, granted June 5, 1916; Austrian application Ser. No. (have none) filed Apr. 29, 1916;

Patent #81367, granted Sept. '25, 1920),-

-of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to process of treating cotton fabric to produce wool-like ef-' fects. v

In my United States Patent No. 1,141,-

and claimed a process of treating cotton fabric to produce permanent wool-like effects, by first mercerizing the fabric and then treating it with concentrated sulfuric acid of less than 51 B. It was described in that patent specification that if cotton fabric whichhasbeen mercerized and also preferably bleached, be subjected to the action of sulfuric" acid of from 49 to Somewhat under 51 B. (the best action being obtained between 495 and 50% Be), the mercerizing lustre disappears, and instead of the transparency obtained with a higher concentration of sulfuric acid, the fabric 872, granted June 1, 1915, I have described.

assumes a fine light crape like nature, whereby it appears fuller, more WOOl-llkB,

of fine woolen stuff, such for example as fine thln wool muslin. I have also discovered that the wool-like quality of the fabric mentioned in said Patfabric with caustic alkali such as caustic soda.

The present process is distinguished from that described in the aforesaid patent, in that the said wool effect is obtained according to the process of the aforesaid patent, regardless of whether the mercerizing is carried out with or without stretching, whereas in the present process where the mercerizing is carried out after the acid treatment, the proper wool-like effect takes place only when the mercerizing is done without stretching.

I have further discovered that the said wool-like effect is attained if in carrying out the herein described process and also the process of the said patent, the treatment with sulfuric acid is replaced by a treatment with phosphoric acid of 55 to 57 .B., or with hydrochloric acid of the specific gravity of 1.19 at low temperature (as for example, below 0 C.) or with nitric acid of 43 to 46 B., or with zinc chloride solution of 66 Beat 60 to 70 G, or with Schweizers solution, with a short reaction period.

In my co-pending application Serial Number 497,738,filed September 1, 1921, I have claimed the process carried out by the use of strong mineral acids in conjunction with a subsequent treatment with caustic soda without stretching the fabric, and this application is directed to the process when carried out by the use of a cellulose altering or solublizing .salt, such .for example as zinc chloride solution and Scliweizers solution' herein mentioned, in conjunction with a subsequent treatment with caustic soda without stretching the fabric.

It will be understood by those skilled in the 'art that when the cotton fibres are treated as herein stated, the'fibres are chemicallyv structurally changed by each treat ment, and it is a characteristic of fabrics treated according to'my process.,.that the stand repeated laundering, so that the goods fibres are chemically structurally changed, and that the changed or altered condition of the fibres is permanent, i. e., will with may be laundered without eliminating or materially altering the characteristics of the fabric above described, and this greatly enhances their value.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. vMethod of treating cotton fabric to produce the described wool-like effect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to the action of a cellulose solubliz'ing salt which will so alter the fibre that when the fabric is subsequently treated with caustic soda without stretching, the said wool-like quality will be effected, and thereafter treating the fabric with caustic soda without stretching it. i

2. Method of treating cotton fabric to produce the described wool-like effect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to the action of a cellulose solublizing salt, which will so alter the fibre that when the fabric is subsequently treated with caustic soda without stretching, the said woollike quality will be effected, then washing the fabric and subjecting it to the action of caustic soda without stretching the fab- IlC.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN. 

